Steve Harmison fury as England go without him and Ravi Bopara for winter tour to South Africa

Steve Harmison was fuming after he was left out of the Test squad to tour South Africa and must now face up to the end of his England career.

Not yet 31, Harmison is barely past his peak as a fast bowler.

But a combination of factors - not least an audacious ultimatum to the selectors insisting he would go to South Africa only as part of the starting XI - has finally persuaded England to cut their ties with the Durham fast bowler.

Axed: Ravi Bopara has made neither squad while Steve Harmison is out of the Test reckoning yet again

Captain Andrew Strauss and team director Andy Flower are clearly
looking to the future as they seek to build a side capable of retaining
the Ashes in 2010-11.

Throw in Harmison's poor form and fitness on tours to New Zealand
and India, plus his reluctance to travel to Australia next winter, and
the selectors were left with little choice. They have brought down the
curtain on a career that has produced 226 wickets in 63 Tests at an
average of 31 and frustration at a talent that will remain largely
unfulfilled.

VIDEO: Strauss looks ahead to tour of South Africa...

Sources said Harmison was furious. His place in the squad goes to
county colleague Liam Plunkett, who returns after a two-year absence.

Comeback kid: Durham's Liam Plunkett was last seen for England two-years ago

There is no room in either the Test or one-day parties for Ravi
Bopara and Owais Shah, despite Shah's match-winning 98 against South
Africa during the Champions Trophy.

It is the omission of Harmison, however, which most clearly signals
the start of England's new era following the retirement from Tests of
Andrew Flintoff after the Ashes victory at the Brit Oval in August.

That was the game in which Harmison found himself on a hat-trick in
the Sunday evening sunshine but, as national selector Geoff Miller
suggested, it was a high point made conspicuous for towering over too
many troughs.

More relevant is Harmison's flaky record since the 2005 Ashes: 84
wickets in 27 Tests at nearly 38 apiece and only two five-fors - both
in the same game on a trampoline of an Old Trafford pitch against
Pakistan three years ago. Put simply, England have had enough.

Miller said: 'He's been a terrific performer and has my full respect
as a cricketer, but unfortunately over the last few years he's not
performed like he's capable of doing. He also stated he didn't want to
tour Australia in 2010-11 and we have to keep an eye on the future, so,
unfortunately for Steve, he's not been selected.'

Tough calls: Skipper Strauss (left) and all-rounder Wright

Asked about Harmison's comments that he did not want to tour South
Africa as a glorified drinks waiter, Miller said: 'You go out there in
the squad and fight for your place and get into the side on quality and
ability. We just can't guarantee that he was going to be a player out
there. So, although his comments didn't go completely against him, they
were part of the discussion.'

It may be of little consolation for Harmison as he considers his future, but there were kind words from Plunkett.

He had forced his way into contention thanks to an impressive season
for county champions Durham and said Harmison had helped make him a
better bowler after he was dropped by England in 2007.

'When things went wrong for me, he just told me how to get back on
track,' said 24-year-old Plunkett, who has won nine Test caps.

'I've had problems and come through as a better bowler, he's been a big help.'

But the question remains whether a seam contingent of James
Anderson, Stuart Broad, Graham Onions, Ryan Sidebottom, Plunkett and -
as revealed by Sportsmail - Luke Wright, will trouble the world's No 1 Test team on their own turf.

Whatever other qualities Harmison lacked, latent menace was not one
of them, but Miller said: 'I'm pretty confident. We've just beaten
Australia, which was a big result, and our seamers performed well. I
think we've got bowlers who can cope with most conditions.'

Meanwhile, a middle order containing Kevin Pietersen and Cape
Town-born Jonathan Trott means there could be moments during the winter
when not a single English-bred player is on the pitch.

Pietersen will miss the two Twenty20 internationals in mid-November
as he recovers from injury but has been named in the one-day squad.

Miller said he expected Bopara, who has now been dropped five times
by his country in a little over two years, to fight his way back into
the side, but criticised Shah for a lack of consistency.

Kent opener Joe Denly can consider himself unfortunate to miss out
on a place in the Test squad, especially after Alastair Cook's
struggles in the Ashes.

But both Denly and Cook were named in the one-day party, the latter
as reward for some unexpectedly powerful hitting in the Twenty20 Cup
and NatWest Pro40 for Essex.

Lancashire paceman Sajid Mahmood earned a recall to the one-day
squad, despite not having played for England since the 2007 World Cup.